The Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA) has named the all-new 2011 Jeep® Grand Cherokee the "Northwest 2011 SUV of the Year," giving praise to its comfort and capability in all kinds of driving situations. NWAPA journalists also recognized the Jeep Grand Cherokee as winner of its "Best Off-Road SUV" award.

"In the Pacific Northwest, we can go from rain-soaked city streets up to the snowy mountains in about an hour," said Jeffrey Zurschmeide, NWAPA President. "We love our great outdoors as much as our coffee and micro-brew. So we look for an SUV that's comfortable and capable in all kinds of situations. To make the grade up here, an SUV has to meet the unique requirements of the Northwest, and that's why our members overwhelmingly voted the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee the Northwest SUV of the Year."

Twenty-six journalists from throughout the Northwest U.S. region drove and evaluated 20 different 2011 model year SUVs and crossover vehicles during a one-day competition late last week in Snoqualmie, Wash., that included hill-climbing and descent abilities, ride comfort, low-range handling, stability handling and emergency braking maneuvers.

"The Pacific Northwest provides perhaps the widest variety of driving conditions in the country, so it's a perfect place for all of the driving attributes of the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee," said Mike Manley, President and CEO – Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. "We're especially pleased that the NWAPA's journalist members recognize Grand Cherokee's comfort and capability in all weather conditions, both on- and off-road."

The 2011 Northwest SUV of the Year and Best Off-Road SUV awards come just days after the Jeep Grand Cherokee was recognized as "SUV of the Year" by the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press Association. These awards are the most recent in a long list of honors given to the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Other accolades include: